Volume 5 – Chapter 10 (in-editing v3)

Volume 5 – Chapter 10

-

Micheal didn’t believe in coincidences.

He had made great changes to the timeline, it was true… but nothing could justify what he saw before him.

‘It’s unreasonable.’

Standing 31 meters tall was a creature that could only be described as a monster out of legend. It was enormous, with skin black as night, camouflaged to blend in with the darkness of the Void. It had a starkly unnatural appearance, a large, hunched monstrosity standing on two legs while leaning forward on its two, unnaturally long, arms, walking with a gait vaguely similar to that of a Gorilla.  

The massive monster was covered in hard, black shells and spikes. Its hide was also covered in large white scars and cracks, blemishes accumulated over the centuries. Its eyes gleamed a mix of gray and black, with a large, jutting mouth full of jagged, white teeth.

What drew the eye, however, was the long, sinuous spiked tail that hovered next to the beast, moving with incredible dexterity that belied the sheer size of the creature.

“What the hell is that?” Shin sputtered as he watched the monster move, crashing through another section of the massive walls that surrounded Axellion.

“An Apex Void Predator.” Micheal returned, his eyes going cold as he watched the creature move.

In the background, screams and yells echoed distantly. Colorful flares of light and explosions rang out as the defense forces of the City-State attempted to fight off the creature, to little effect.

“Armon isn’t here.” The Hero of Stone was nowhere to be seen.

Micheal resisted the urge to snarl.

‘What were the odds they encountered an Apex here, while Duke Armon just so happened to be away, just before we arrived?’

Ludicrously small.

Perhaps, if he lacked knowledge of the future, he might not have realized how unbelievable the present situation was.

As it was, he almost felt insulted that the Deity thought he wouldn’t see through this.

‘Jay sol Arget must have lured an Apex here, somehow, while also luring Armon away.’ He didn’t even want to imagine how difficult that must have been. Apexes weren’t stupid – they were intelligent monsters, capable of planning and thought, at least to some degree.

‘Why?’

The Titled Deity was powerful, but he wasn’t a Seer by any means. There should be no way he could know Micheal and Shin would be here…

And yet…

‘I can’t just abandon Bastien to die.’

The Apex had broken past the Southern Gate, one of four major entrances to the City State of Axellion. Bastien’s location, if the note was to be believed, was in the same general vicinity.

‘It might not necessarily be a trap for us.’

Luring the Apex here might simply be part of a plot to take out Bastien, or part of a plan to catch the attention of the Knights of the Round Table and draw in Aaron Bartram.

‘It could be for any number of reasons, but it’s definitely caused by him.’

Micheal ground his teeth as he struggled to make a decision, knowing that not only their lives, but the fate of humanity was at stake.

Humanity needed people like Bastien to survive.

In the 7 Layers, the power of an individual could have an immense impact on the fate of an entire species.

‘Then again, Bastien might not even be here yet.’

If the man wasn’t present, there was no reason to risk their lives when an Apex was attacking. Instead, they could infiltrate slowly, waiting for the Apex to be pushed back. Duke Armon was a Hero, a being powerful enough to fight off an Apex on his own. Axellion would hold as long as he took the field.

And just as Micheal considered that thought…

He saw a glowing, white slash of raw, Grandmaster Sword Energy fly through the air and slam into the chest of the enormous Apex Predator, sending it stumbling sideways.

‘He’s here!’ There weren’t any other Grandmasters in the Atlas Duchy at this time, apart from himself and Bastien.

‘Okay. Let’s do this smart.’ With confirmation that Bastien was present in the City-State, Micheal’s mind cleared as his decisions became easy.

“Shin, stay on your toes. We’re heading in. Also…” He paused for a split second.

‘Plan for the worst.’

“You wanted to test your new Strength, right? Here’s what we’ll do…”

.. .. .. .. .. ..

Just a few minutes prior…

.. .. .. .. .. ..

“Breach! Breach! Fall back, now!” Bellor Alten’s gruff voice blasted through the noise as the Void Noble in charge of the Southern Gate watched that same gate begin to collapse. Massive chunks of rock and stone went flying as the Apex Void Predator smashed through the gate, destroying it, and any unfortunate Guardsmen standing too close.

“The Apex is through! Aim for its bloody ankles!” He yelled as he jumped down off the wall, feeling the warm pulse of Mana pumping through his Mana Heart. Powerful energy flowed through his veins as he drew on that Mana, enhancing his body as a whole.

“Aye, Ser!”

“Aye Ser!”

A chorus of voices responded, mixing in with screams of terror and fear as the Apex broke through.

Each Gate had half a dozen Wizards assigned to provide backup in the case of an attack, alongside close to 550 Guardsmen on patrol, dressed in a mix leather and metal armor, wielding spears and crossbows. Several of those Wizards stood next to him in the streets, alongside a contingent of around 220 Guardsmen. The rest of the Guard were rushing in from farther patrols along the wall.

For the prize city of the Atlas Duchy, such a large guard force for just one side of the wall was only natural.

Bellor watched in disbelief as these Wizards threw dozens of blazing red fireballs and bolts of green lightning at the legs of the Apex, all to no avail. The Apex brushed them off as if they didn’t exist, its massive frame lumbering forward as it finished stepping through the ruined Gate. The acrid stench of burnt air mixed unpleasantly with the dust and stone.

“Where are the bloody Knights?!” Bellor screamed as he rushed forward, two enormous blue greatswords glowing in his hands.

Compared to the Duke’s three Knight Commanders, mighty warriors that had formed a Stage 4 Mana Heart capable of creating Reinforced Mana, Bellor had merely formed a Stage 3 Mana Heart.

While he might not be as powerful as a user of Reinforced Mana, Bellor had still gone through the enhancement transformation all warriors did when they reached Stage 3.

Despite being clad in full metal plate-armor, from his helm to his boots, the Guard Commander charged forward at an incredibly fast speed, his body transforming to a blur as he dashed across the ground.

In a split second, he covered enough ground to land amidst the rubble of the Southern Gate.

“Cantor – where are they?!” He bellowed as he brought his two greatswords to bear, incandescent blue Mana covering the Enchanted blades as he slammed them into the side of the Apex’s right leg.

The impact sent a wave of energy out in the middle of a small shockwave, blasting away a cloud of stone dust that had formed in the wake of the Southern Gate’s collapse.

The Apex barely shifted, the impact failing to break past its natural defenses. It did, however, catch the enormous creature’s attention, as it turned its looming head down to stare at Bellor.

“Can-“ The Guard Commander’s words were abruptly cut off as an enormous impact slammed into his side, the only sign of the attack a blurry black blob that appeared in his peripheral vision for a tiny fraction of a second.

Instinctively, he managed to raise a layer of Mana to the side where he was hit, partially shielding himself from the impact, and avoiding a fatal blow.

The powerful attack sent him flying backwards, where he bounced off the edge of a townhouse and came down hard on the street. He only barely managed to regain his balance, skidding to a halt in a shower of sparks as his metal armor grinded along the stone paved street.

The world around him seemed to have gone quiet, replaced with a jarring ringing in his ears as he stumbled to his feet. His left arm was broken, and his entire left side was a mess of bruises, cuts, and crumpled armor.

His vision cleared just in time to see a massive, receding tail coil back around the Apex, the source of the attack that sent him flying.

“Damn it all, man. CANTOR!” He yelled, his voice slurring slightly as he swallowed a Mid-Tier Healing Pill, a new invention brought in by some of these new ‘Human’ Outsiders. They worked a damn sight faster than the Healing Potion swill sold by the Mage’s Guild, that was for sure. He could already feel his arm starting to heal.

“Cantor’s dead, Ser!” One of the Wizards assigned to the Southern Gate, a young lad whose name escaped Bellor, ran over to help Bellor to his feet. The lad was dressed in the quaint, grey robe that most Wizards of the Guild wore, wielding a plain grey staff. He was covered in dust, with several small gashes bleeding on his forehead.

Indeed, as Bellor scanned his surroundings, he saw the Wizard aide assigned to him by the Duke dead on the ground, a large chunk of stone pierced through his abdomen. It was a grisly sight.

“Name.” Bellor spat, dislodging a blob of blood from his mouth.

“Aren, Ser!”

“Aren, where in the name of the Void are the bloody Knights?!” They had spotted the Apex and called for help more than 10 minutes ago.

The group of still living Wizards paled as they heard Bellor bellow, the intense Mana fluctuations coming off him shuddering in the air.

The Apex continued to rampage, moving down a sidestreet that bordered the Southern Wall. It moved in a single, straight direction, its slow, lumbering pace guarded as it shrugged off the attacks of Bellor’s entire defense force. As it began walking, it tilted its head from side to side, gazing around almost curiously.

“Ser! We’ve received word that Duke Armon brought the Rosare Company out of the Northern Gate an hour past! Beor Company is still overlooking the City-State of Ador, and the Knights of the Black Wind on expedition at the Coast, Ser!” Aren quickly replied, his voice squeaking out of fear.

‘What blasted terrible timing.’

As the Guard Commander struggled with that thought, a terrifying growl shook the air. It was deep and guttural, a howl that vibrated so intensely that it shook his bones.

The Apex swatted down with its tail, annihilating more than a dozen Guardsmen in a single blow. The impact sent bits of stone and dust flying into the air, amid the grisly sight of bodies ripped apart in a fraction of a second. A veritable wave of fear swept through the remaining Guardsmen, many of them stumbling backwards.

“Has anyone answered the Call?” Bellor asked, his heart pounding as he forced himself to speak.

Aren stuttered before gathering himself, his face blue from fear as he shuddered. Simply being in relative proximity to the Apex was horrifying.

“Two Free Companies have answered!”

The Call was an ancient tradition held amongst nearly all City-States on the Third Layer. Whenever an Apex attacked, the Call was sent out to all Knight Companies present in the city, those sworn to a lord and those free. It was half a request for aid, half a demand, to those living in the shelter of safety brought by the City-State.

Answering the Call would earn one lavish rewards and fame, with the caveat of risking death against a savage being of immense power.

Anyone could answer the Call, but typically, only individuals who were part of a Knight Company were strong enough to have any real impact on a fight against an Apex.

“The Albaz Knights and the Knights of the Round Table are on the way! The North and West Gates are sending reinforcements. The Eastern Gate is dealing with a riot, and will be delayed!”

Bellor spat out another blob of blood as he turned his gaze eastward. Guard Commander Pere Lomon of the Eastern Gate was a slimy man who earned his position through nepotism, a bastard whose brother just so happened to be favored by the Duke.

If he survived this battle, Bellor made a silent promise. He would not forget the man’s cowardice.

Abruptly, Bellor twisted his attention back towards the Apex, watching in horror as…

It jumped.

The enormous monstrosity leapt high into the air, its limbs splayed to the side as it jumped more than two hundred meters high.

“We can’t stop it.” Bellor muttered, his palms slick with sweat.

With a loud, grinding crunch, the Apex landed atop several different houses, crushing them all beneath its feet. Screams and yells from panicked civilians sounded out as they fled the area, all beneath the beady gaze of the Apex.

‘How could anyone stop this?!’ The creature was playing with them.

It was the first Apex attack on Axellion in more than 50 years.

Bellor ground his teeth as he began to step forward, the Mana in his body burgeoning as he steadied his heart.

He was no coward. His wife and his two beautiful daughters lived in the Southern District.

He would stall the Apex for as long as he could.

Another terrifying roar echoed as the Apex swatted away a green, glowing orb of acid, a powerful Tier 3 Spell that failed to even leave a mark.

Their situation looked hopeless.

And then…

It didn’t.

A radiant slice of white energy rocketed through the air, slicing so quickly Bellor’s eyes failed to register it before it slammed into the Apex.

A loud boom rang out as that slice of energy rammed into the Apex, sending it stumbling backwards. A large, black gash appeared on the Apex Void Predator’s skin as it stumbled, the incredibly sharp energy slicing deep enough to break the Void Predator’s outer shell.

Bellor spun around, hope building in his chest as he looked for the source of the attack.

‘Did the Free Companies already reach us?’ It was a foolish thought, he acknowledged, a second later. Axellion was an enormous City-State, one of the largest in existence. For all he knew, reinforcements might be dozens of miles distant.

All he vaguely saw was a figure garbed in grey spin around and vanish, ducking behind the side of a local inn. He wasn’t even certain if the man he saw was the source of the white energy, so quickly did he disappear, as if vanishing from sight.

The attack held enough force to make the Apex fall on its side, but it was nowhere near enough to stop it. Already, the black gash on its chest was starting to vanish, its outer shell naturally regenerating as it shrugged off the mighty attack.

However…

Just as the Apex got back to its feet…

A humanoid being appeared in the air next to it, dressed in grey leather armor, a grey cloak, and grey boots.

“HEY BIG GUY!" It was a Human, Bellor just barely recognized, yelling loudly just out of range of the Apex's tail.

"WHY DON’T YOU PICK ON SOMEONE YOUR OWN SIZE?!”

The Guard Commander watched in rapt attention as the Human grabbed hold of his left arm, and then sputtered as, abruptly, that arm expanded to an enormous size in an instant, a huge, massive, black metal monstrosity taking form.

“GIAAAANT!” The human screamed as, an instant later, he vanished, teleporting and appearing just a few meters away from the Apex.

“PUNCH!”

A shockwave exploded outward and shook the air as the giant metal arm collided with the Apex’s head, sending it flying to the side. The Void Predator slammed into the Southern Wall and began to skid alongside it, the powerful force leaving a bevy of cracks and one long, drawn out crater in the stone, all from a single punch.

Bellor’s jaw dropped as he saw the absurd attack, and then watched the Human bow in mid-air before vanishing.

“…what the hell was that?”

.. .. .. .. .. ..

“This is different.”

Vesper von Atlas frowned from atop the roof of Castle Atlas.

She was dressed in a slim, purple gown that accentuated her figure, donning small, silver shoes and light silver gloves. She held a small, black wand in her hand, a wand she waved out in front of her, constructing half a dozen Magic Circles in the air in an instant.

“She mentioned the Apex attack… but what are you doing here?” Vesper muttered, her eyes lighting up as she saw the slice of white Sword Energy, and then the Human with the giant arm.

“You aren’t supposed to be here yet.” Vesper giggled quietly.

In the distance, another terrifying roar shook the air as the Apex raged, clambering back to its feet.

A normal Void Noble would be quaking in their finely made slippers…

But not Vesper.

She wasn’t scared.

No, not even a monster this horrifying could cause her to feel fear.

Nothing, since the day she was born, was capable of that.

“This is different… but that’s unmistakably him.” Vesper whispered, her words dancing in the air.

“The fallen friend.” The beautiful Void Noble’s eyes twinkled.

“And that means…”

“My Grandmaster with eyes of blue.”

Vesper stepped forward to the edge of the roof, her eyes glowing as she began to cast a multitude of Spells.

“I’m coming for you…”

.